SWAPS are small crafted items scouts and others share with each other at events. Two ways of describing the acronym are Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere and Share With A Pal. However, they are also great to include with mixed media and collage art projects.
Steps
1. History.
Find out about the history of SWAPS. Be able to answer the following questions.
- What are SWAPS?
- How did SWAPS originate?
- Why make SWAPS?
2. Collect.
Start your own collection. Even if you don’t have SWAPs to share, etiquette dictates that giving someone a SWAP is more important than receiving one. You can also ask for duplicates if you see someone who has multiples of a single SWAP. To build your collection, you can also ask experienced adults if they have additional ones they can spare.
3. Online.
Search for SWAPs online. See what others have made. If you see one that looks really cool that you’d like to make, save the image for reference later.
4. Directions.
You may find directions in addition to images in your online search. If so, save any you’d like to make.
5. Fun.
Check out the Enrichment Project SWAP Fun supplements for directions to some different SWAPs. See what tools, materials and steps are necessary to create your own. Start a vagabond box for materials and create a tools checklist so you have a starting point when you start making SWAPs.
6. Sort.
As you’re saving information on SWAPs, think of how you might sort them. For example, you might save all the SWAPs that are in baggies (small zip-top jewelry bags) into one folder so when you want to make some baggies, the ideas are together. You may also choose to sort by theme, so all of the camping SWAPs are together. What makes the most sense for you?
7. Provider.
Some people provide the basic materials and directions as a way to make money. See the difference between what they provide and what kids make themselves. How might you take an idea from another to help inspire your kids to make their own?
8. Beyond.
Girl Scouts is just one organization that swaps small hand-made items. Boy Scouts, Frontier Girls, Quest Clubs and a lot of other youth organizations make and share small crafted items at events.
There is a movement between concert festival attendees where they also make small crafted items to share. My daughter cleaned me out of fusible and pony beads to make bracelets and necklaces. They refer to these small crafted items as “kandi.”
Find out more about exchanging crafted items.
9. Other.
Just like you can swap items with more than organized groups, you can use SWAPs for other crafted items. You can include them in mixed media projects, RAK (random act of kindness) gifts, refrigeratior magnets, as pieces for your fairy house and more. Keep an open mind as you look at SWAPs and note any that you can use for other projects you might be interested in doing.
10. Learn.
Learn more about SWAPs by doing more of the badges in the SWAPs set. These include:
- SWAP Explorer (this one)
- SWAP Basics
- SWAP Maker
- SWAP Display
- SWAP Events
Badge and Supplement Files
Member Level
- EP_Badge List_SWAPX_larajla — list of badge items
- EP_Badge Set_SWAPX_larajla — list of badge set and related badges
- EP_Supp_List_SWAPX_larajla — list of supplements for the badge
- SUPP_BPG_SWAPX_2in_12up_larajla — generic badge printable
- SUPP_SWAPX_Journal_larajla — badge journal
- SUPP_SWAPX_Planner_larajla — badge planner
Supplement Fun
- N/A
Sites to Explore
- Swap-bot.com
- makingfriends.com/swapping-is-about-friendship
- myswapscollection.com
- wehavekids.com/youth-programs/Girl-Scout-Swaps-the-What-Why-and-How
- www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/traditions.html
- www.swapsforscouts.com/food-swaps
- www.pinterest.com/swaps4free/girl-scout-swaps
- www.pinterest.com/gsnc/girl-scout-swaps
- www.pinterest.com/girlscoutsrv/swaps
- www.pinterest.com/Glutenfreemilk/perler-bead-patterns-kandi
- www.reddit.com/r/kandi
Get the infographic here > larajla blog post
Get the PDFs of the badge program / supplements here